Abstract
I. Introduction . . . . . 1153
II. The Evolving Understanding of Sexual Harassment as a Form of Sex Discrimination . . . . . 1155
A. Recognition of Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment as Actionable Under Title VII: The Relevance of Desire . . . . . 1156
B. Recognition of Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment as a Form of Sex Discrimination: Sexual Desire, Sexual Conduct, and Conduct Based upon Sex . . . . . 1159
C. A Renewed Focus on the Requirement of Sex Discrimination: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc . . . . . 1165
III. Sexual Harassment as a Form of Disparate Treatment. 1170
A. Introduction to Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact . . . . . 1170
B. Oncale: Discrimination as Only Disparate Treatment . . . . . 1172
C. Proving Disparate Treatment in a Sexual Harassment Case . . . . . 1174
D. Pornography and Discussions About Sex as Disparate Treatment . . . . . 1179
IV. Analysis of Non-Targeted Workplace Sexual Conduct Under a Disparate Impact Approach . . . . . 1187
A. The Law of Disparate Impact Discrimination . . . . . 1187
B. A Facially Neutral Employment Practice . . . . . 1195
C. . . . that Causes a Disparate Impact on the Basis of Sex . . . . . 1207
1. Likelihood that Workplaces Will Include Facially Neutral Conduct that Has a Disparate Impact on Women . . . . . 1207
2. The Meaning of "Impact" in a Sexual Harassment Case . . . . . 1217
3. Proving Disparate Impact . . . . . 1221
a. Proving Disparate Impact in the Typical Case . . . . . 1221
b. Proving Disparate Impact in a Sexual Harassment Case . . . . . 1225
4. Another Approach to Proving Disparate Impact in a Sexual Harassment Case: Robinson v. Jacksonville Shipyards, Inc. and Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co . . . . . 1231
D. . . . and Is Not Job Related or Consistent with Business Necessity . . . . . 1236
V. Potential Problems with Finding Non-Targeted Workplace Sexual Conduct Actionable . . . . . 1241
A. Conflict with the First Amendment . . . . . 1241
B. Overprotecting and Stigmatizing Women . . . . . 1246
C. Reemphasizing the "Sexual" in Sexual Harassment . . . . . 1253
D. A Practical Problem: No Jury Trials for Disparate Impact Claims . . . . . 1255
VI. Conclusion . . . . . 1256
Recommended Citation
Kelly Cahill Timmons,
Sexual Harassment and Disparate Impact: Should Non-Targeted Workplace Sexual Conduct Be Actionable Under Title VII?,
81 Neb. L. Rev.
(2002)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol81/iss3/7
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